From 3577a46e4af12308dcc3b35fbb2e0c52181df5dc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: cshezi <cshezi@sybrin.co.za>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:52:42 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] docs: add command channel processor

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 .../Processor-Command-Channel                 | 277 ++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 277 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 Technical/Release-Management/Processor-Command-Channel

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+# Processor Command Channel – Dynamic Configuration Updates in Tazama
+
+## 1. Background
+
+Tazama evaluates financial transactions for fraud by running them through a set of configurable components:
+
+* **Network map configuration** – describes events to follow for evaluation of the transaction received.
+* **Rule configuration** – defines which fraud rules are bands, their thresholds, and other parameters.
+* **Typology configuration** – defines typologies (fraud patterns) and how rules and events are combined.
+
+A number of long-running processors rely on this configuration at runtime, including:
+
+* `event-director`
+* `typology-processor`
+* `tadproc` (transaction analysis/decision processor)
+
+These processors subscribe to NATS/JetStream subjects based on the current configuration, and often cache parts of it in-memory for performance (e.g. rule sets, typology configuration, network map).
+
+### 1.1 The Problem (Before)
+
+Historically, Tazama **could not dynamically update configuration** across the processing estate. Changing configuration had several limitations:
+
+* **Static configuration at startup**
+
+  * Processors read configuration on startup (from the database or environment) and then assumed it was stable.
+  * Any change to network map, rules, or typologies required a **restart or redeploy** of the relevant processors.
+
+* **No coordinated propagation**
+
+  * There was no central mechanism to **broadcast** a configuration change to all affected processors.
+  * Individual teams sometimes resorted to manual restarts, ad-hoc scripts, or environment tweaks to force reloads.
+
+* **Runtime inconsistency**
+
+  * During rollout of configuration changes, different processors could be on **different versions** of configuration.
+  * This could lead to:
+
+    * Inconsistent rule evaluation results between services
+    * Hard-to-debug behaviour in production
+    * Risk when making urgent fraud-rule adjustments
+
+Because of this, Tazama lacked a robust way to **safely, consistently, and quickly roll out configuration changes** across all processors.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Solution Overview: Processor Command Channel
+
+To address these gaps, we introduced the **Processor Command Channel**.
+
+The Processor Command Channel is a JetStream-based messaging mechanism that:
+
+1. Allows **Admin Service** to accept configuration update requests.
+2. Persists the **new configuration** to Postgres (the system of record).
+3. Broadcasts a **command message** via JetStream to **all relevant processors**.
+4. Each processor:
+
+   * Fetches the latest configuration from the database, and
+   * Performs its own **runtime reconfiguration** (re-subscribing to NATS, clearing caches, etc.), without redeploy or restart.
+
+At a high level:
+
+> **Admin Service → Postgres → JetStream Command Channel → Processor(s)**
+
+---
+
+**Explanation:**
+
+1. **User → Admin-Service: Publish latest config**\
+   The user sends a new configuration to the Admin Microservice.
+2. **Admin-Service → DB: Save latest configuration**\
+   Admin-Service validates and stores the new configuration in the Configuration DB as the latest version.
+
+   2.1. **Admin-Service → NATS (JetStream): Publish config update event**\
+   After saving, Admin-Service publishes a `config.updated` event to NATS (JetStream), including headers like `config-type: network-map`.
+3. **NATS(JetStream): Act as the command/config bus**\
+   NATS receives the event and makes it available on the relevant COMMAND topic that microservices are subscribed to.
+
+   3.1. **NATS → ServiceA / ServiceB: Trigger config update event**\
+   Tazama Microservice A and B receive the config update event from NATS(JetStream) as subscribers.
+4. **Service: Apply and reload config**\
+   Services clears any related cache, and pulls new config from database, hot-reloads to start using the new configuration.
+
+### Sequence diagram
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+    participant User as User
+    participant AdminService as Config Microservice
+    participant DB as Configuration DB
+    participant NATS as JetStream Bus
+    participant ServiceA as Tazama Microservice A
+    participant ServiceB as Tazama Microservice B
+
+    User ->>AdminService: Publish latest config
+    AdminService->>DB: Save latest configuration
+    AdminService-->>NATS: Publish config update event (e.g. config.updated)<br>header<br>"config-type": network-map<br>"process-target": "Rule Processor"
+    Note over NATS: Microservices subscribe to this COMMAND topic
+    NATS-->>ServiceA: Push config update event
+    NATS-->>ServiceB: Push config update event
+    ServiceA->>ServiceA: Apply latest config if applicable<br>Clear applicable config cache<br>Hot-reload
+    ServiceB->>ServiceB: Apply latest config if applicable<br>Clear applicable config cache<br>Hot-reload
+```
+
+### Flow Diagram
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TD
+    U[User] -->|Publish latest config| CS[Admin Service]
+
+    CS -->|Save latest configuration| DB[(Configuration DB)]
+
+    CS -->|Publish config update event<br/><code>config.updated</code><br/>config-type: <code>network-map</code><br/>process-target: <code>Rule Processor</code>| NATS[JetStream Bus]
+
+    subgraph Subscribers
+        SA[Tazama Microservice A]
+        SB[Tazama Microservice B]
+    end
+
+    NATS -->|Push config update event| SA
+    NATS -->|Push config update event| SB
+
+    SA -->|Apply latest config if applicable<br/>Clear applicable config cache<br/>Hot-reload| SA_DONE[[Config applied on Service A]]
+
+    SB -->|Apply latest config if applicable<br/>Clear applicable config cache<br/>Hot-reload| SB_DONE[[Config applied on Service B]]
+```
+
+
+## 3. Configuration Domains
+
+The Processor Command Channel supports dynamic updates for the main configuration domains in Tazama:
+
+* **Network Map Configuration**
+
+  * Changes to entity relationships, routing, or any network-based metadata used by processors.
+
+* **Rule Configuration**
+
+  * Threshold adjustments (e.g. amount limits, velocity thresholds).
+  * Rule parameters, such as timeframes or comparison strategies.
+
+* **Typology Configuration**
+
+  * Adding/removing typologies.
+  * Changing which rules feed into a typology.
+  * Modifying typology-level decision logic.
+
+Each processor reacts only to the configuration domains it cares about (e.g. `typology-processor` focuses on typology-related updates, `tadproc` on rule and network-related updates, etc.).
+
+---
+
+## 4. End-to-End Flow
+
+### 4.1 Step-by-step Sequence
+
+1. **Admin Service receives request**
+
+   * An administrator (via UI/API) submits a configuration update:
+
+     * e.g. “Update rule thresholds”, “Enable new typology”, “Change network map for a tenant”.
+
+2. **Admin Service persists new configuration**
+
+   * Admin Service writes the updated configuration into **Postgres**, typically into:
+
+     * `network_map` table (JSON configuration)
+     * Rule configuration tables
+     * Typology configuration tables
+   * The database becomes the **authoritative source** for the new configuration version.
+
+3. **Admin Service publishes a command**
+
+   * After a successful DB update, Admin Service publishes a **command message** to the **Processor Command Channel** via JetStream.
+   * The command contains metadata such as:
+
+     * Configuration domain(s) affected (network / rules / typologies)
+     * Tenant(s) or scope (if multi-tenant)
+     * Version identifiers or timestamps
+     * Optional hints (e.g. “only typology processors need to reload”)
+
+4. **Processors receive the command**
+
+   * Each processor (e.g. `event-director`, `typology-processor`, `tadproc`) has a **JetStream consumer** subscribed to the Processor Command Channel.
+   * On receiving a command, it:
+
+     1. **Gets** the message header configuration type.
+     2. Fetches the relevant **latest configuration from Postgres**.
+     3. Applies internal update logic:
+
+        * **Re-subscribing to NATS**
+
+          * Unsubscribes from old subjects where necessary.
+          * Subscribes to new subjects defined by the new configuration (e.g. new event or typology subjects).
+        * **Clearing in-memory caches**
+
+          * Node-level caches of configuration, rule sets, typologies, or network maps are flushed.
+          * New configuration is loaded into memory.
+
+
+5. **Processors resume evaluation with new configuration**
+
+   * After updating themselves, processors continue processing new transactions/events using the **updated configuration**, without downtime or redeploys.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Design Goals and Benefits
+
+### 5.1 Design Goals
+
+* **Dynamic configuration without redeploys**
+
+  * Operators can push configuration changes at runtime.
+
+* **Consistent configuration across processors**
+
+  * All participating processors are notified and reconfigure themselves in a controlled, coordinated manner.
+
+* **Decoupled responsibilities**
+
+  * **Admin Service**: owns configuration lifecycle and persistence.
+  * **Processors**: own their runtime behaviour and configuration application.
+  * **JetStream**: provides reliable broadcast and delivery semantics.
+
+* **Horizontal scaling friendly**
+
+  * Multiple instances of each processor can listen on the Processor Command Channel (using queue groups or JetStream consumers) and all reach a consistent configuration state.
+
+### 5.2 Benefits
+
+* **Faster reaction time to fraud**
+  Adjust rules and typologies within minutes instead of waiting for deployments.
+
+* **Reduced operational risk**
+
+  * Less manual restarts / redeploys → fewer opportunities for misconfiguration and human error.
+
+* **Clear auditability**
+
+  * Changes are persisted in Postgres first.
+  * Commands can be traced via JetStream, allowing auditing of who changed what and when.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Responsibilities per Component
+
+### 6.1 Admin Service
+
+* Receive and validate configuration update requests.
+* Persist changes to Postgres.
+* Publish Processor Command Channel messages after successful persistence.
+
+### 6.2 Processors (event-director / typology-processor / tadproc)
+
+* Subscribe to Processor Command Channel via JetStream.
+* On command:
+
+  * Fetch updated configuration from Postgres.
+  * Rebuild subscriptions to NATS subjects as needed.
+  * Clear Node.js caches and rebuild runtime configuration state.
+* Continue processing transactions using updated configuration.
+
+### 6.3 JetStream / NATS
+
+* Host the **Processor Command Channel** stream.
+* Ensure reliable delivery of configuration commands to consumers.
+* Support horizontal scaling via consumer groups and multiple instances per processor type.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Summary
+
+The **Processor Command Channel** transforms Tazama from a mostly statically configured fraud evaluation engine into a **dynamically configurable** platform.
+
+By centralizing configuration changes in **Admin Service + Postgres** and then broadcasting those changes via **JetStream** to all processors, Tazama achieves:
+
+* Runtime-safe configuration changes
+* Consistent behaviour across all processors
+* A cleaner boundary between configuration management and transaction processing

From 145c0ace267f3ec4ea292ee6757432625eeed89d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: cshezi <cshezi@sybrin.co.za>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:02:10 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] docs: fix file extension

---
 .../{Processor-Command-Channel => Processor-Command-Channel.md}   | 0
 1 file changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 rename Technical/Release-Management/{Processor-Command-Channel => Processor-Command-Channel.md} (100%)

diff --git a/Technical/Release-Management/Processor-Command-Channel b/Technical/Release-Management/Processor-Command-Channel.md
similarity index 100%
rename from Technical/Release-Management/Processor-Command-Channel
rename to Technical/Release-Management/Processor-Command-Channel.md